CAPTAIN MARVEL REVIEW: A Comic Book Movie for Comic Book fans with a message.

March 12, 2019

I’ve only been a Carol Danvers fan for three short weeks, having recently read most of the key issues and stories dating back to 1968 for this blog. That said, Captain Marvel might be my faorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film since Captain America: Winter Soldier. Whether a new fan, a die-hard Captain Marvel and/or Ms. Marvel fan, or a fan of the films alone; this movie will satisfy all audiences.

If there was anything wrong with Marvel’s last big Avengers outing, it’s that it wasn’t a real superherostory. Aten-yearbuild-uptotheInfinityGauntletcomicbookstoryresultedinan anti-climatic buzzkill named after the later Infinity War which ended where Infinity Gauntlet comic begins. You might think I’m being harsh, but that film literally left children sobbing in the showing I attended. Captain Marvel brings hope back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It avoids being

a vapid advertisement for the next Avengers film, yet adequately hypes the upcoming endeavor without distracting from the story at hand. It presents a real hero, someone you can look up to, someone who’s willing to give it all to help others and inspires.

Members of Carol Corps elite may find themselves a little lost at the first act of this film. When we meet our hero, her circumstances don’t directly resemble any particular moment in the comic booklore;still,inclassicCarol-comicfashion,hermemoryisfragmentedtohell. Sheliveson the Kree homeworld training for their fancy military force. We only catch glimpses of who she was before finding herself on an alien planet through flashbacks.

The action escalates when our hero crashes on a familiar Earth, except it’s 1990-something. We then cross paths with a much younger version of a familiar character. Thanks to Disney magic, Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, or Fury, doesn’t look a day over 30; this illusion is so convincing that it’s borderline creepy. The two then set off to put a stop to an invasion from MCU firsts, who’re notable Fantastic Four and Avengers baddies, the Skrulls.

In many ways Captain Marvel returns the focus of the comic-book movies to the comic-books. While there are significant changes to Carol’s origin story, it manages to stay completely faithful to the source material by condensing some of the more drawn out mythology in a way fans of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s run will recognize without feeling bored or like they know exactly what’s coming. Even fans of Mar-Vel or the other Ms. Marvel, Monica Rambeau, get tied into the film’s universe in a satisfying way that never feels forced like some of the “Easter eggs” of recent comic films. The MCU die-hard fans get plenty to tie this to the greater universe, as well, but it never gets in the way of the narrative. If anything, they feel like an afterthought. Though, after 10 years I’m growing tired of one object being at the center of movie-Avengers lore. No spoilers.

Brie Larson is a juggernaut. Her character radiates energy from the moment she steps on screen bother figuratively and literally. She practically surges into the film’s final act which will leave you wanting to punch holes in the sky. She’s fun, relatable, determined and by the film’s close she is completely unstoppable. So seriously, stop telling her to smile.

It wouldn’t be a Marvel movie without some decent laughs, the humor clicks mostly due to Larson and Jackson’s on-screen chemistry. You’ve heard the cat steals the show, but we’re gonna say it anyway. The freaking cat steals the freaking show. The decision to use the 90s as a backdrop is a little strange but makes for a fun throwback to the decade without ever feeling

overly specific. Holy crap, I miss Blockbuster.

It isn’t all laughs, though the first act is a little slow, this movie hits all it’s emotional beats once the story is underway. Much of this comes from the fact that we spend much of our time with
a hero unaware of her potential. Minor spoilers-Carol Danvers has been misled and restrained through much of this movie. When she’s finally allowed her full potential this film practically explodes in a way that will likely resonate with the target female audience without leaving anyone out on the fun. The little boys leaving our theater probably wanted to be Captain Marvel as much as the girls did because at heart this is a movie about a hero; but the feminist message was read loud and clear by the adults. To dudes, especially Twitter and comment section trolls: we’ve all been Yon Rogg; let’s stop tying women’s hands behind their backs.

Captain Marvel is an entertaining and uplifting comic-book movie that condenses 50 years of convoluted mythology into a really excellent super hero story(emphasis on hero) with a lot of heart that’s totally faithful to the comics in a way fans will love. The MCU’s new hero inspires us to go higher, faster, further expanding her legacy as she punches holes through the sky–and silver-screen.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Carol’s awesome kitty, Chewie(renamed Goose for the film). We’ve been inspired by Carol’s love for her weird, weird cat and want to do something heroic too, but we need your help. On Sunday March 10th at 12 pm we will be holding a cat adoption pop-up to celebrate the release of the Captain Marvel film. Be a hero to a kitty in need, you never know–she might turn out to be a rare and advanced alien species for you to have adventures with. While egg laying pink tentacled monsters aren’t guaranteed with every adoption; we can guarantee she will be a great friend.